First Words - Tom Anderson

Tom Anderson was one of two deadline day signings for Port Vale as Michael Brown puts his finishing touches on his squad as the window closes.

There was not much time between the time that he became aware of the opportunity, to him putting pen to paper for Vale, which he was delighted by: “As soon as I heard I was itching to get here, and thankfully it all got done very quickly.”

A factor which helped bring the defender to Vale Park was a member of Brown’s back room staff: “I’ve worked with Chris Morgan before, and I spoke with him a little bit. He was asking whether I would be interested and my response was definitely.”

He speaks of his time working under Morgan and how he has helped develop him as a player: “He has just helped me be a good defender. That’s what we are on the pitch to do. Our aim is to keep clean sheets and you do that by being a good defender, doing the basics right and making sure you do what you are supposed to do.

And that is what Vale can come to expect from the 6’5 defender: “When you try to complicate things at times, that’s when things seem to go wrong. As a defender you have got to keep clean sheets, head it, kick it, whatever it takes to be a good defender.”

Anderson, on-loan from Burnley has experience playing in League One and League Two for league Chesterfield and Carlisle United, and hopes that this experience will help himself and the team during his Vale career: “Hopefully it will all be beneficial. Any loans for players my age and younger are beneficial because you have to go out there and experience proper football.

“I will just try and do my best and get us up the league, and start winning.”

Further he has his sights firmly set on his only target for the season: “Promotion. That’s it.”

Anderson will be looking to impress his new manager in the short while he has on the training pitch before tomorrow’s encounter with Kevin Nolan’s Notts County.